THR PEPPER VTKES. 



181 



large, and of fine quality.* Some had even 

 attaiiafid maturity, having changed ftotti a tferk- 

 g3?eea ito 4 vivid t«d. Ftom the latter, the 

 berry being in a ripe state, the white i)epper is 

 made ; some of very excellent ({uality was shown 

 ns by a Chinese planter who had prepared it. 



Instead the usual and tedious process of 

 drying the Jkejppfer in the m^^ dl&r it hias hem 

 gatliered, I observed the planters, after collect- 



ino: a Iarj>"c (juatititv fo^-etiier. steam it ; by 

 which, the dryii)<i' process is exjiedited, Mithout, 

 it is said, the pepper losing any of its flavour by 

 the operation. At the rmom plantatitam I 

 visited, this process was found most generally 

 n(lnpi(-(h althoiigli a small (pianfitv \\as In a 

 few instances laid out upon mats in the sun to 

 dvy. The steaming process is almost invariably 



adopted when the im^tnediale Asmmd ibr ilm 

 article is very great, as it was at this tim^i f&p" 



per being in considerable demand at Singapore, 

 for the English market. It was stated to me, 



* There are some, but very few pepper plantations up<3il 



tlio island, nitlsnut a Gnni1)ir lyoilint^-iiousc being near themi 

 hut although those without the benefit of having the boiled 



GdxMf4mve^ steeled mm tbe hak s^n 'liie 



plaiUers say. that tlic pe])per protlueed by the vm&it W 

 neither prohiic*, nor ol'so line a (quality. 



